Weed-puller.



D E. NUTTALL.

WEED FULLER. APPLICATION FILED r113. 18, 1914 Patented Aug. 4, 191-14 FFKQE.

DANIEL N'UTTALL, OF EMSWORTH, PENNSYLVANIA.

WEED-FULLER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Applicetion filed February 13, 1914.

To all echo m it may 004mm '72 Be it known that 1 Daniel. E. No'nrnnn, a resident of liln'isworth, in the county of Allegheny and State o'l Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Improvement in lVeed-Pnllers, ol' whii'zh the 'lollowing is n specification.

nis invention relates to weed pullers. The object of the invention is to provide a simple, inexpensive and effective device for removing weeds from lawns without stoopng and which 18 arranged to .nrnily grasp,

the root below its crown and force or pack it into aeone shaped cavity, so that the root is either remr-ived bodily or broken at a point below its crown.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved weed puller embodying a pair of relatively movable jaws :t'or grasping the root, and also provided with means for ejecting the root or weed therefrom and cleaning the aws.

Further objects of the invention are in :part obvious and in part will. appear more in detail hereinafter.

The invention comprises the construction end arrangement of parts hereinafter dcscrihed and claimed.

In the drawings Figure '1 isn-sideview of a weed puller embodying the invention, the

jaws thereof being in open position; Fig.

2 is a detail View, corresponding to Fig. l,

andshowing the jaws closed; Fig. 3 is an edge view of the device as seen from the left, Fig. 1.; Fig. :-l is a detail sectional view on the line l l, Fig. 1, showing the Inovahle cleaning member; L i 5 isia detail View .of the movable aw memlier, looking at the name in the direction of the arrow A, I? *1; Figs. (3 and 7 are detail cross sectional views on the lines 6-4), 7-4, Fig. 5, respec tively; Fig. 8 is a cross sectional view on the .orrstml it, being; shown a f connected thereto by a nipple or threaded member (l. "The Patented Aug. 4., 1914.

Selim. No.;8l,5&5.

other jaw is pivotally connected :to the rod or stall, being shown es pivoted to the fixed jaw 53 on .a suitablebolt 6. Said jaw is L- shaped, one arm 7 .being' pivotally connected to in tension member 8, shown as a rod which extends longitudinally of the rod or stafl', 1. and through an aperture 9 in the side wall thereof, its opposite end projecting from the end of the tube 1 where it isndjustnbly con nected, as .by the nuts 10 threaded thereon to a handle member 11 which movable in the frame 2. In one )OSliTlUll the nut 10 abuts against thcend o the tube 1 to limit movement of the anovahle jaw 5 in a direction to open the jaws. The jaws are opened and normally held open by a. suit able spring 121;. shown as a coiled tension spring con.- ncetcd at one end to the rod or stall and at the other end to .the movable jaw member 5. They are closed by moving the handle 1110111" her 11 in the frame 2 to oscillate the movable jaw against the action of spring 12. Jaw .5 .is preferably provided with a heel or projection 5 which abutsagainst the fixed jaw 23 when said jaws are closed and which limits the approach of said j awstoward each other.

The jaws 3.41mi 5 are preferably each pro wided .with a plurality of )ointed teeth 01 prongs, jnw 3 being provir ed in the form shown, with three teeth or prongs, namely, two outer teeth 13 and an inner tooth .lel, which:areallsubstantially straight and par allel. The jaw is provided with two teeth or prongs 15, which are arranged in stag; gorml relation with the teeth of the jaw 3, so that in .olosed .position the teeth on the two jaws interlock. The teeth on jaw are curved nt their ends toward the jaw 3, so that they roject into the spares therehc tween when the jaws are closed. while the main portions oi the teeth 1.1 lie snli1sl':in- .tinlly parnllel with jawll. 'Jeeth 1:3 are suhstanthtlly itrinngnlar in cross section, as shown in Figa o, .7 and S,'having wide hacks spaced nnii'olnnly apart throughout the length oli'rthc teeth nnd n blunt inner edge 15. The edges 15 of .thetwo teeth con-- verge toward their points, so that the space '15 between said teeth is somewhat ,coneshaped. 'looth 14 on the jaw tl iwhich pro .jcr'ts'hetwecn the teeth "15 whornthe ,jnwn are closed. is compaintirely which to enable it to.withstnndithe pressureoihjaw 5 in ,t 'ins r ingthe weed, while the two sidetceth 13 are shallow hot cum )arntrvelv wide heme adapted to support the teeth 15 against lateral strain and prevent them from spreading when the jaws are closed. Three teeth are also used on jaw 3 in order to form a firm fixed fulcrum when the device is inserted in the ground, so that jaw 5 will move toward jaw 3 when the device is operated, and not jaw 3 toward jaw 5.

The device is used by. forcing the jaw 3 into the earth at one side of the root of the weed. This may be done by pressure upon thev handle '3, but preferably by merely dropping the tool, like a cane or spear, at the proper location, the-device having sulficient weight so that it will force its own way by gravity into the earth to the proper depth. Handle 11 is then operated to close the two jaws 3 and 5. The root, or its crown,

is grasped between the two teeth 15 of jaw 5 and tooth 14 of jawB and is forced into the wedge or cone shaped space between the teeth of jaw 5, the pointed ends of which project between the teeth of jaw 3. By pulling upwardly on the handle the root is drawn down and wedged tightly into the cavity or co'ne shaped space between the jaw teeth, but without cutting the root, so that it is easily removed from the ground without liability of leaving the crown therein. In many cases the entire root is removed but removal ofthe crown kills the plant even if a part of the root remains.

Preferably, the device is provided with suitable means for cleaning the jaw teeth and freeing them from dirt, stones, fragments of weeds, roots or the like, which frequently collect and fill up the spaces between the prongs. In the form shown the movable jaw 5 is arranged to cooperate with a rigid cleaning or ejecting device, shown as a bent metal member 16 secured to the rod or staff 1 and the outer portion 16 of which lies in such position that when the aws are opened it enters between the parallel teeth 15 of the jaw 5, thereby i-orcing out any material which has collected therebetween. The teeth of the fixed or rigid jaw member 3 are cleaned by a movable cleaning device, shown as an arm or member 17, pivoted to the member 16, and the innerend of which is provided with two prongs 18 which normally lie in the roots of the teeth 13, 14 and are held there by a spring 19 connected to the rod or staff 1. To the outer arm of the lever 17 is connected an operating member, such as a cord or cable 20, which may have its other end secured to the handle frame 2. Member 16 is provided with a suitable stop pin 22 arranged to contact with the arm 17 and limit movement of the cleaning member in one direction. Periodically the movable cleaning device is operated by pullin on the cord or cable 20 to swing its teeth or prongs 18 from the position shown in Fig. 1 to that shown in Fig. 9, which thereby forces out frornbetween the teeth any material which has collected therein.

The device described is of simple construction and can be readily manipulated with one hand. It does not need tobe forced very deeply into the ground, as it is found from experience that by removing merely the top of the weed and its cap or crown the remaining portion of the root dies. The device insures removal of the crown and at least the upper portion of the root, as it wedges the material in between the teeth and is not liable to lose its grasp. It is also easily cleaned without stopping and does not clog up.

What I claim is: 1. A weed puller, comprising a rigid rod carrying a pair of relatively movable jaws at one end, a spring for moving one of said at one end, means for moving said jaws rela-c tively to each other in both directions, one of said jaws having a plurality of teeth having portions which converge toward the points of the teeth and thereby form a cone-shapedcavity therebetween, whereby a root is wedged in said cavity by lifting the device.

3. A weed puller, comprising a rigid rod having a pair of relatively movable jaw members at one end, means for moving said jaws relatively to each other in, both directions, one of said jaw members being provided with a plurality of teeth and a movable cleaning device having portions normally lying in the roots of said teeth and arranged when moved to travel through the spaces between said teeth.

4-. A weed puller, comprising a rigid rod having a pair of relatively movable. jaw members at one end, means for moving said jaws relatively to each other in both directions, one of said jaw members being provided with a plurality of teeth, a movable cleaning device having portions normally lying in the roots of said teeth and arranged when moved to travel through the spaces between said teeth, a spring for moving said device in one direction, and manually operable means for moving it in the other direction.

5. A weed puller, comprising a rigid rod carrying a rigid jaw member at one end, a movable jaw member connected thereto, means for moving said movable jaw memher, said movable member being provided with a plurality of teeth having portions. which converge toward their points thereby thereof, a jaw member pivotally mounted thereon, a spring connected to said pivoted j aw member for opening the jaws, each of said jaw members being provided with a plurality of teeth, a fixed cleaning device arranged to cooperate withthe movable jaw member, and a movable cleaning device ar- 1'2! nged to cooperate with the fixed jaw mem-' her.

7. A weed puller, comprising a rigid rod carryinga lixed jawmember at one end thereof, a jaw member pivotally mounted thereon, a spring connected to said pivoted jaw member for opening the jaws, each of said jaw members being provided with a plurality of teeth, a fixed cleaning device arranged-to cooperate with the movable jaw member, and :1 movable cleaning device arranged to cooperate with the fixed jaw member, said movable cleaning device having portions normally lyin in the roots of the teeth an arranged when operated to move through the spaces between the teeth of the fixed jaw member.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand.

DANIEL E. NUTTALL. Witnesses GLENN H. LERESCHE, \VILLIAM B. WHAR'DON.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for live cents each, by addressing the Commluloner t: I'atcnta, Washington, D. U. 

